hondo in seattle

There's a website somewhere on the internet that uses flawed methodology to rate NFL players. Why do we care?

I suspect Beane and McD are as undecided on Ford as many fans are. Ford certainly didn't look like a quality NFL starter in his rookie season and it's hard to project how much - if at all - he'll improve this year. RT is still an unsolved problem and McD and Beane are probably hoping for the best from Ford but - at the same time - preparing for the worst. I expect them to bring in competition through the draft and/or free agency.

The Bills new Assistant DL Coach (Jacques Cesaire) is a big fan of Eric Washington... “The opportunity to work with Eric Washington, he is the best defensive line coach in the NFL. The evidence is clear. He knows his stuff. He’s very organized. He has dynamic presentations. He’s a leader of men..." https://www.telegram.com/news/20200207/football-former-gardner-high-standout-jacques-cesaire-returns-to-nfl-with-bills-coaching-staff

Boiler up! What Rome did was classless, rude. I don't encourage violence but Rome's a clown.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. McD's mantra last season was "playoff caliber." While the OL was much improved, it wasn't playoff caliber.

Beane's interest in AB notwithstanding, I think Beane prefers to find his playmakers in the draft and then augment them with solid role players in free agency. FA superstars like Clowney are almost always overpriced. While I wouldn't be shocked if Beane sniffs around Clowney, I don't expect him to pony up.

Texans are the only playoff team that was out scored by their opponents. Bills win 23-20.

How can you not like a young lady who owns as much Bills gear as Jennie does?

She's a Bills fan who enthusiastically supports our team. She's AOK in my book.

I was deep in the Arabian Desert - unable you watch or listen but hoping somehow to get news of a Bills victory

That was an entertaining game. Like Corta said, it felt like a playoff game. Players on both teams were battling every play. Fans were loud. A great game - except for coming up short at the end. With minutes in the game left and the outcome still undecided, their D (barely) out dueled our O. My takeaway is the Bills are still a year away. Last year was the gut-the-team season - with the lowest payroll in the NFL, McD didn't have a chance. This is the first year of the rebuild - and we've earned a wildcard spot with a bunch of scrappy no-names. With a ton of cap space going into 2020, we'll have a great season if Beane and McD continue on the trajectory they on. I'm still hoping for a small playoff run this year but am pinning most of my hopes on 2020.

We have one of the lower payrolls in the NFL and we were going up against one of the NFL's best teams and the game wasn't decided until the very end. The game was not an unmitigated coaching disaster. It just showed we might be a year away still - which is what many believe anyway. With as much cap space as we have, next year's squad is likely to be better. If the OL blocked a little better... if Allen was a little more accurate... if the WRs got separation a little more often... if the D tackled a little better... we would have won. This was a hard fought, competitive one play game. I'm not disappointed in our coaches.

I can't sing, dance, or tell a joke. In fact, I can barely tie my own shoes. I suspect there are very few people the world over with fewer talents than what I possess. But there is one thing I used to do - many years ago - uncommonly well and that was catch a football. One handed? Diving? Contested? One-handed, diving and contested at the same time? The bigger the challenge, the more I loved it. I would catch anything and everything. But the pathetic pinnacle of my sad football career was leading a flag football league in receptions, picks and TDs (yes, we kept stats). My hands were good enough for the NFL. But my legs weren't, nor my brain, nor any other part of my body. I lacked the discipline and athleticism to be a good professional prospect. What use is a WR who can't create separation? I remember when people hailed EJ's big hands as a requirement to succeed in Buffalo's harsh weather. That's kind of what I think of the original post in this thread. It makes sense to think we need receivers who can handle Josh's rockets. But they need to block, run good routes, and get separation too. In other words, they need to be good overall WRs - not just guys with good hands. We can't get hung up - like some did with EJ - on just one trait.

I've always been impressed by the consistency in Pittsburgh. Only 3 HCs in the last 50 years and something like 30 playoff appearances. They don't make the playoffs every year but they don't experience 17 year droughts either. And they don't fire a coach in a knee-jerk fashion after a disappointing season. Players do their best when work in the same schemes under the same coaches - assuming the schemes are well-designed and the coaches are competent. This D is really good and the O has blemishes but I don't think Daboll is a bad OC. I'm with Cage and would love to see these guys stay together.

There's no doubt that Payton has been part of Brees success. Then again, that's true of any great QB. They all have mentors and coaches who help them along the way. I also think his own talents had a lot to do with Drew's 29 of 30 performance this week and all his statistical achievements over the years. Everyone defers to Brady as the GOAT but I think Brees is in the conversation. Being a Boilermaker, I've followed his career with some interest. He clearly grew his first few years and finally achieved his first 100+ passer rating only in his fourth year with the Chargers - before working with Payton btw. I'd like to believe Josh Allen will have the same kind of trajectory. Some QBs continue to learn and grow once they reach the NFL and don't reach their potential until their 3rd or 4th season. Or in Jim Plunkett's case, his 12th! I think Allen's best is yet to come. And since this is a Rivers thread, let me add Rivers is clearly a good QB who hasn't always been surrounded by the best players and coaches. He reminds me a little of Archie Manning in that respect - a talented guy who was underrated because of shortcomings in the surrounding cast.

This game and the Pats games are the only two games I've gone into expecting a loss. But if Josh plays like he did last Sunday...

My estimate is 33%. However, if we do win it will be because of these two things.

I don't know, PP, we must hang out in different circles. I know a lot of Hawk fans who are both knowledgeable and devoted. I'm not claiming Seahawk fans are equal to Bills fans but I do think they rate above the NFL average.

It's not fair but Allen may make or break Beane. If Allen turns out to be the next coming of Jim Kelly, Beane's job is secure and we'll win a bunch of game. If Allen doesn't progress beyond his "below-average" current self, Beane's in trouble regardless of the success of the rest of his picks. Bill Walsh once famously recommended Trent Edwards to Marv Levy. Even the best talent evaluators miss sometimes. Luckily, Walsh didn't miss with his first QB: Joe Montana. I'm hoping Beane didn't miss with his first because if he did, he might not have a 2nd chance in this Not-For-Long business.

Agreed. It didn't look like a great roster when we were winning and looks less like a great roster after the Philly loss. But taking a big picture, 2018 was the year Beane finished gutting the roster and started drafting for the future. Through the draft and free agency, the 2019 roster is somewhat better but we still have a way to go. And while our draft capital isn't spectacular next year, we do have a ton of cap money. Once I figured out what Beane was doing, 2020 always seemed like the target year. This 2019 can get to the playoffs but it can't go deep into the playoffs.

Last year we were dead last in active cap spending. I felt sorry for McD going into each game with that bargain basement roster. But you could clearly see how Beane was setting up a foundation for the future - one that needed a QB, draft capital, and cap space for free agency. This year we're something like 23rd in active cap spending (depending slightly what source you use). We're still in the bottom half of the league in roster spending thus - theoretically - in the bottom half in roster talent. Yet we're 5-2. In 2020, we'll be 3rd in available cap space and have a couple extra draft picks. By next year - if Beane is good at his job - we should be able to field a contender. Especially if Allen take a step forward. We can already see McD's competency as a coach. Each year we win more game than our roster would indicate. When given lemons, he makes lemonade. By next year, we should have a really good idea if Beane knows how to build a roster.

Only 15 QBs in the 100 year history of the NFL passed for more yards than Bledsoe. And he's a 4 time Pro Bowler. He outperformed most 1st round QBs. He's not a HOFer but he's far from being a bust. I guess he's a disappointment if you have really high/unrealistic expectations of QBs drafted early.

The closest I've come to watching live sports on tv in Europe is watching Neil Armstrong walking - live - on the moon. God, I'm old!

Exactly right! I'm kind of mildly amused by the table busting and - now - hatchet throwing. But Buffalo isn't called the city of good neighbors for nothing.

Agreed. I pull my hair out - what little I have left - when Josh throws picks or overthrows deep routes. But overall I'm enjoying the ride and love the kid's attitude.